City comparison
Buffalo, NY vs Tucson, AZ
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Tucson, AZ are 1.1% higher than in Buffalo, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Buffalo, NY would need about $101,100 in Tucson, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,139 a month in Buffalo, NY versus $1,081 in Tucson, AZ. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Buffalo, NY and 17% in Tucson, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,569 a year higher in Buffalo, NY than in Tucson, AZ.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.6% moving from Buffalo, NY to Tucson, AZ ($111,301 → $108,455), while prices change by +1.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.6% in real buying power.
- Buffalo, NY: price level 95.8 (cheaper)
- Tucson, AZ: price level 96.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Buffalo, NY | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.8 | 96.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,098 in Tucson | $98,914 in Buffalo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,139/mo | $1,081/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $76,889 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $2,291 (AZ) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,790 | $47,760 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | Tucson-Nogales, AZ |
Rent areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY MSA and Tucson, AZ MSA. Metro areas: Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY and Tucson, AZ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Buffalo | Tucson |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 81.0 | 91.8 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 129.5 | 89.5 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 99.8 |
| Overall | 95.8 | 96.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Buffalo, NY → Tucson, AZ
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,569/yr.
65 Fair offer
Tucson, AZ → Buffalo, NY
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$2,569/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Buffalo, NY is in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY pay area; Tucson, AZ is in Tucson-Nogales, AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Buffalo, NY to Tucson, AZ at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Buffalo, NY | Tucson, AZ | Real change, Buffalo → Tucson |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,543 | $62,893 | −3.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,091 | $76,095 | −3.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,598 | $91,205 | −3.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,301 | $108,455 | −3.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,525 | $128,162 | −3.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Buffalo, NY | Tucson, AZ | Tucson pay in Buffalo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,490 | $47,220 | $46,707 (−38.9%) |
| Software Developers | $127,850 | $123,710 | $122,367 (−4.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,120 | $76,320 | $75,491 (−8.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,060 | $94,110 | $93,088 (−6.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.